Ace and I
by AceTrace
Summary: A true story about Ace. Please read. First fanfic.
1. Chapter 1

Ace and I

AN: this is my first fanfic ever. Nope. It does not have any of the original Phantom Stallion characters but thats because of one little important detail that can't be overlooked. This is a true story that is even yet unfolding as I write. So, i may not always update quickly but that will be simply because nothing of importance has happened since the last update. So, here goes. Oh and feel free to message me with any questions.

There i sat, on top of Bo, wiping sweat off my forehead and listening to my new teacher, and friend, tell me about her horses. I was interested in Bo only, being as he was the one I was currently atop, but then something she said caught my attention.

"Hey I've got a horse that doesn't have a name. Maybe after your lesson is over you could walk over with me to see him and suggest some names," she said to me.

I simply grinned "Sure! That would be great!" i responded and began pestering for details about him. He response was that he was a bay horse and that i could wait till i saw him.

All through my lesson i was busy getting to know Bo and my new teacher. I guess now is as good a time as ever to tell you about myself and how i got here.

Im Hannah, a fourteen year old homeschool kid in eleventh grade. I guess in some ways I'm pretty average but in other ways i am quite eccentric. My friend who has read the Phantom Stallion books says I'm a lot like Sam when it comes to my attitude and determination. I guess she is probably pretty right. I've got brown hair and eyes, am fairly short (at least compared to my 6'2" brother i am), and love animals. Let me rephrase that. I absolutely adore animals. But mostly horses, dogs, salt sneezing lizards (marine iguanas), and sea lions.

How i ended up being here at Shadowfax is a bit of a long story. Ever since i was about six or seven i have been taking riding lessons of and on. For a while it was just occasionally, but then i took a while from our pastor's daughter, then ended up spending four years at Oak Meadows Stables, where a piece of my heart will always be.

I took there for four years, fell off horses four times (third time was pretty scary), and learned natural horsemanship. I loved it and it felt like home. I met a Tennessee Walking horse mare named Missy and fell in love. But then, due to hard to explain circumstances, i had to leave that barn. When i left Missy, or Miss as i liked to call her, my heart broke.

Thankfully i have one of her horse shoes to remember her by. I cried myself to sleep for eight months straight every single night. That was a year ago that i left her. I was desperate to keep riding and so i tried jumping lessons.

I loved jumping, but the stable wasn't to my liking. Needless to say i only took about five lessons there. I spent the next nine months after that in slowly loosing my love for horses.

I tried to get back in touch with Oak Meadows Stable but nothing worked out. So i decided to check out a stable that had been recommended to me. That stable was Shadowfax.

Shadowfax isn't a stable really. More like my teacher, her horses, a few boarders, and the mustangs she fosters [i will do my best to get some info and links on my page with info about this]. So here i was at my first lesson.

After my lesson was over, i groomed Bo again and got to know my teacher more. She is awesome and so are my lessons. She does private lessons only, unless you have a sibling or a friend taking with you. I am the only one that has lessons on Wednesday mornings, so i get there at. About 7:30am and get to hang out till Mom makes me leave.

Finally, after what seemed like ten hours, she walked over with me to see the horse with no name. We headed over to the corrals and pens that she keeps the mustangs in - she currently has four and had one burro at that time - and she introduced me to Ruby, Beauty, a two year old colt whose name i don't remember, and to the horse with no name. I took one look at him and knew his name.

Before me, through the fence rails, stood a curious and friendly, though a bit shy, mustang. His coat was a rich bay color and had black stockings. He tossed his head as i gazed at him, and there, beneath his long, ropey black mane, was a shining white star.

"Ace" i said quietly. "his name should be Ace." he simply tossed his head as though in agreement and nuzzled my face and hands.

"i like it. It fits him," my teacher said as she watched us.

Ace began nuzzling my hair and i had to duck before the actually tried to taste it, but was smiling the entire time. As i pet his face and neck, i dared to ask the question that was nagging at me. "where did he come from?" i said a bit shyly.

"Nevada," came my teacher's reply. "He's a four year old from somewhere in Nevada."

I smiled as i watched Ace. Finally, a dream was coming true. Here i stood before a mustang, and one that seemed to have come alive out of one of my favorite series of books.

AN: hope you liked it. I wont always write it in story form like that. I may decide to write it like i would in my journal. Let me know what you think. Big thanks to horse-nerd and Narnia Phantom Stallion for their help and support.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Been a bit busy with school, traveling, and working on a few of my other stories. Anyways, here's a bit of an update on Ace.

I have taken about four lessons since my first lesson. Ace is doing quite well. I don't get to see him every week as sometimes I am busy working with the other horses. So I'll tell you a bit about the horses I've worked with and a bit about Ace.

After one lesson, Ace let me kiss his nose. After another lesson, I had the opportunity of feeding one of the other mustangs, Beauty. Beauty is really shy and skittish and still doesn't let people touch her much even though she has been captive for quite a while. To feed her, I held her bucket of food in my arms and whenever she put her head down to eat, I would start to slowly stroke her throat and cheek with my thumb. Occasionally she would back away, but by the time she was done eating, she had allowed me to stroke her cheek and neck. My teacher, Mrs, Berry, was really impressed as it was the first time Beauty had let anyone touch her besides letting only Mrs. Berry to briefly stoke her cheek or throat with her thumb. Needless to say I was also thrilled.

My little brother has also had the opportunity to work with a horse. His horse is a miniature donkey named Che-Che. Che-Che is very sweet but timid. Daniel, my little brother, gets to play with and lead Che-Che around during my lessons. He loves it and now he and Che-Che are best friends.

I have been given the opportunity to work with a boarder's horse here at Shadowfax. The horse's name is Winston, a big, beautiful bay (I tend to have a thing for bays, don't I?). His owners were looking for someone who could ride him in lessons and work with him as they don't have the time too. My teacher told me about him at my first lesson, and just last Wednesday she put me up on him for the first time. Bareback. Winston is a very sweet, obedient, huge horse. He seeks to please, and his only fault is that he is quite "forward". In other words, he loves to go. He is always ready to step out faster, trot, or canter for you. My teacher picked me since I have previously worked with some horses like him, but I don't think a single one of them was as willing to go, yet just as willing to obey and please, as he is. When I was on him in the round pen, I overheard Mrs. Berry saying that Winston and i are a perfect match. I simply can't wait till I ride him again next Wednesday!


	3. Chapter 3

Today I rode Winston again. It was awesome even though he acted a bit bratty.

I also found out that Beauty, the really shy mustang, has now been halter-trained... and is being adopted! We are all so excited for her! She has made quite a bit of progress these past few weeks. I know we will all miss her, but glad she is going to have a permanent home.

Ace is doing great! I didn't get to pet him today, but could see him from the round pen I was riding in.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to update. I guess the last thing I said was that Beauty was getting adopted. Well, the adoption fell through due to the potential adopters having to deal with some unexpected expenses.

Last week, I went to the barn for my lesson as usual (by the way - Winston is doing great! He stays relaxed for the entire time I ride him!). While there, I happened to go near where the mustangs are kept... and was surprised to see their pens empty. I was slightly confused so I went and asked Ms. Berry where Ace, Ruby, and Beauty were. The pens were empty because... they all got adopted!

Last week Ms. Berry took them to a mustang adoption. Only six people showed up for it, so it's pretty amazing that all three mustangs found homes. I'm gonna miss Ace, but I'm glad he has finally found a good, permanent home. I don't know what his owners are calling him, but if I find out, I'll let you know.

I guess this brings an end to this story... at least for now. Who knows - maybe one day I will see him again?


End file.
